Effect of calcium infusion on tenderness and ageing rate of pork m. longissimus thoracis et lumborum after accelerated boning

The effect of calcium chloride infusion at either 0.5 or 6 h post slaughter on tenderness, ageing rate and meat quality of pork longissimus muscle that had been boned at rigor or had undergone accelerated processing and conditioning at either 0 °C or 14 °C was investigated. The time of calcium infusion had no effect on the initial WBSF values or the aging rate. However, calcium infusion overall resulted in lower WBSF initially (1-day post-mortem) and also after 6 days ageing at 2 °C regardless of the processing procedures used. Calcium infusion did not, however, increase the ageing rate compared to comparable treatments that had not been calcium infused. Based on this observation and the myofibrillar fragmentation index results, it was concluded that the increased tenderness due to calcium infusion was not due to increased proteolysis as has been previously postulated, but was due to either a direct effect of calcium on tenderness, or an indirect effect of calcium via increased post-mortem glycolysis and pH decline rate resulting in reduced cold shortening. Calcium infusion had detrimental effects on drip loss and meat colour.